- #1
sunnnystrong
- 54
- 6
Homework Statement
The space shuttle is in a 300 km-high circular orbit. It needs to reach a 520 km - high circular orbit to catch the Hubble Space Telescope for repairs. The shuttle's mass is 6.5 E4 kg. Mass of the Earth = 5.98 E24 kg. Radius of Earth = 6.37 E6 m.
How much energy is required to boost it to the new orbit? Express your answer with the appropriate units.
Homework Equations
The specific orbital energy of an object in a circular orbit is:
-epsilon = (1/2) (mu/r)
E = epsilon * m
E = -GMm/2r
Also can use:
E = GMm/2 * (1/ri - 1/rf)
3. The Attempt at a Solution
E(300,000m) = -GMm/2r = -1.943 E12 J
E(520,000m) = -GMm/2r = -1.881 E12 J
E(520,000m)-E(300,000m) = 6.20566 E 10 J
Last edited: